Announcing device



Nov. 7, 1933. w 1,933,647

ANNOUNCING DEVICE Filed Sept. 6, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 7, 1933. L.WITTER 1,933,647

ANNOUNC I NG DEVI CE Filed Sept. 6, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,QN i

8 30 '29 23 X ze 21 32 31 24 Nov. 7, 1933. L. WITTER ANNOUNCING DEVICE'F'iled Sept. 6, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WNN @NN '2 U6 7? for mi NNNPatented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,933,647 ANNOUNCINGDEVICE Lawrie L. Witter, Jamaica Plain, Mass. Application September 6,1930. Serial No. 480,171

22 Claims. (Cl. 58-14) This invention relates to announcing devices andin its more specific application to time an- I nouncing devices.

It is desired for many purposes to be informed at frequent in ervals ofcertain changing information, such as time. In accordance with myinvention I propose to record this information on a record and providemechanical means for automatically announcing therefrom at any desiredtime or at predetermined intervals.

One aspect of my invention comprisesan announcing device including aplurality of electrically operated reproducers in operativecommunication with transmitting means adapted to cooperate with a recordonwhich are recorded the announcements it is=desired to make. Thereproducers may be widely distributed throughout the announcing area,such as a business plant or building of any kind, and desiredannouncements may be made therefrom by means of the record andtransmitting means. The announcing operations are controlled by electricswitches which may be automatically or manually operated. One phase ofthe invention relates particularly to time announcements for hotels,homes, and the like, and in such case electric switch means may beprovided in each room and cooperate with a reproducer therein to causethe time announcement therefrom whenever desired, the arrangement beingsuch that an announcement from one reproducer will not aifect the otherreproducers unless their corresponding switches have been closed. Suchtime announcing device is particularly applicable to, hotels havingradios installed in the rooms since the device may be applied to thespeakers thereof without in any manner affecting the radio apparatus.The production of such an announcing device comprises one of the objectsof my invention.

I am aware that announcing devices including electrically operatedannouncing devices have long been in use and that time announcingdevices of various kinds have been suggested. However, most of theseapparati have various objections. For example, they usually requireconstantshifting of the transmitting means or shifting thereof atvery-frequent intervals, and the driven templets, to definitely locatethe transmitters for each announcement. The invention also. preferablyincludes means for automatically driving the record only when anannouncement is to be made. It is another object of my in- 60 vention toproduce such an announcing'device and more particularly a timeannouncing device.

Other objects of my invention include the. provision of 'a plurality oftransmitters and a novel arrangement of the announcements in sections onthe record whereby the transmitters which are automatically set to theproper announcing positions will operate thereon in various combinationsof the sections, and in proper sequence to make the desiredannouncements.

In'accordance with my invention as illustrated the record is driven froma motor, and geared directly thereto are means for automaticallycontrolling the various announcing operations in accordance with one ormore variable templets. This means automatically sets the transmittersto the proper announcing position, causes the transmitters to engage therecord at the proper time, raises the transmitters from the record aftereach announcing operation, and automatically stops the record with theparts in position for the next announcement. Further means are providedfor preventing operation of any of the transmitters which have not beenset to an announcing position. The provision of an improved announcingdevice embodying these and other novel features comprises a furtherobject of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated certain specificembodiments of my invention, but itwill be understood that the inventioncan be otherwise embodied and that the drawings are not to be construedas defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims appendedhereto being relied upon for that purpose.

Referring to the figures of the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a mechanism embodying my invention, the covercase and certain Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 2.

While the device comprising my invention can be used for announcing anyinformation, it is particularly applicable to the announcing of time andI have, for convenience, illustrated the same as thus adapted herein.Furthermore, while I have herein illustrated a disk record using avibrating needle, it will be understood that certain features of theinvention are equally applicable to other forms of records, and Itherefore use the term record herein in its broad sense to mean anythingon which sound to be reproduced is recorded. Again, while I prefer touse a plurality of transmitters which can be positioned to reproducevarious combinations of announcements from the record, it will beunderstood that many features of my invention need not be thus limited.Other features of the invention which are herein illustrated in apreferred specific form are likewise of broader scope and are to beconsidered as limited only as required by the claims appended hereto.

In the preferred form of my invention I record the necessary informationon the record in sections or groups of announcements in such manner thata large number of announcements can be made from a single record bycombining the announcements in the several groups into varyingcombinations. In adapting my device to time announcing I propose toannounce the hour or the hour and minute, such, for example, as eightoclock or eight seventeen or eight twentytwo. This can be done byproviding the record with a section of hour announcements from one totwelve, inclusive, and a section of minute announcements from one tofifty-nine, inclusive, and an oclock" announcement, and combining thetwo sections to announce in sequence any hour and minute. Such acombination would require seventy-two announcements and two reproducersor transmitters. I prefer, however, to record the minutes in threesections on the record, 1. e.,

1. A section for announcing one to nineteen inclusive, and oclock.

2. A section for announcing twenty, thirty, forty" and fifty, and

. 3. A section for announcing one to nine, inclusive.

- Such three sections operating in sequence in the order stated providesfor making any announcement from one to fifty-nine, inclusive and"oclock and requires only thirty-three recorded announcements, it beingunderstood that a reproducing transmitter is provided for each section.Thus this latter method requires a total number of forty-fiveannouncements on the record and four reproducers, whereas the formermethod recTuires a total number of seventy-two announcements on therecord and two reproducers.

The record 10 has four announcing sections A, B, C and D. The section Ahas twelve recorded announcements from one to twelve, inclusive, forannouncing the hours. These announcements all start on the radial line12 and end near the line 14. The sections B and C start on the radialline 14, the section B having twenty recorded announcements and thesection C having four recorded announcements. The first announcement ofsection B is oclock and the following nineteen are one to nineteen,inclusive. The four announcements of section C are twenty, thirty, fortyand fifty. The announcements B and C end near the line 15 and thesection D starts at this line. The section D has nine recordedannouncements from one to nine, inclusive. Between the end 16 of sectionD and the starting line 12 is a blank area 17.

Cooperating with the record are four reproducers or reproducingtransmitters 21, 22, 23 and 24 to respectively cooperate with thesections A, B, C and D. Each transmitter comprises an inner element 26carrying a needle 27 and an outer carrying case 28 having three ears 29slidably mounted on rods 30 of a rotary cage 31. The rods are supportedat their ends in arms 32 carried on hubs 33 rotatably mounted in abridging plate 34 and an upright standard 35, respectively. The plate 34is part of a housing 36 resting on a horizontal frame plate 37 and thestandard 35 also rests on this plate 37. An arm 40 at the outer end ofthe cage carries a roller 41. When this roller is engaged by the camportion 42 of a disk 43 the cage is rotated to a position raising andholding the needles up off the record. The element 26 and case 28 ofeach transmitter carries cooperating lugs 44 and 45 which engage toraise the needle when the cage is thus rotated.

The parts are shown in normal position in Figs. 1 and 2. Four rods 50have their opposite ends slidably mounted in the standard 35 and in ahead plate 51. The plate 51 is carried on a shaft 52 slidable within abearing 53, a spring 54 normally holding the shaft to, the left and aroller 55 thereon in contact with a cam 56. The rods are normally in theposition illustrated but springs 57 between the plate 51 and collars 58may compress and permit the rods to slide within the plate. A yoke 59 oneach rod engages over a transmitter in a manner adapting the rod toslide its transmitter longitudinally but permitting independent rotationof the transmitter.

Carried by the inner element 26 of each of the transmitters 22, 23 and24 and adjacent to the needle thereof is a roller 63 and in the normalposition of the transmitters (Figs. 1 and 2) these rollers arerespectively over concentric ribs 64, 65 and 66 adjacent to sections 18,C and D of the record. The ribs are of such height that, when engaged bythe roller, they hold the needles out of contact with the record. Thepurpose of these rollers is to hold out of operation any transmitterswhich are not set to an announcing position. Obviously the hourannouncing transmitter 21 operates for every announcement and thereforerequires no such rib.

The record 10 is supported on a rotary table 70 driven from a motor 71suitably geared to a vertical shaft 72. A gear 73 on this shaft is inmesh with a gear 74 on the shaft 75 which supports the cam 56. The camdisk 43 on the shaft 76 is driven from the shaft 72 through bevel gears77 and 78. For purposes of convenience and simplicity I have hereinillustrated the mechanism as adapted to give the record two rotationsfor each announcement, the first rotation being adapted to give therecord a start and set the transmitters to the proper announcingpositions and the announcement taking place during the second rotation.As thus operated the gearing will be such that the shaft '72 rotatestwice for each rotation of shafts 75 and 76. It is quite fullyappreciated that in practice it may be necessary to rotate the recordmore than two turns for each announcement, but by merely changing thegearing and other features herein fully disclosed such change can beeasily made without departing in any respect from the spirit of theinvention.

In the normal position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and sponding announcementgroove.

6, the cam portion 42 of disk 43 is holding the cage 31 rotated to aposition wherein the needles and rollers are off the record andthetransmitters are freely slidable on the cage rods 30. Rotation of theshaft 72 operates the cams 43 and 56in the direction of the arrows. Therise of the "cam 56 forces the head plate 51 to the right, .(Figs. land2) thereby sliding the transmitters along the rods 30 and over theirrespective announcing sections of the record. Means now to be describedis provided for automatically stopping the transmitters in predeterminedannouncing positions in accordance with the setting of a templet ortempletelements, it being understood that while these elements areherein illustrated as clock driven, the same may be operated or set inany desired manner and including manual operation thereof.

Mounted on the housing 34 respectively adjacent to the rods 50 andextending toward the head plate 51 are four racks 80 each having ashoulder 81 and teeth 82 on the lower edge thereof. Four pawls 83respectively pivoted to the four rods 50 are normally held by springs 91against stop pins 84, and in such position the free ends of the pawlsjust clear the teeth. Any pivotal movement of such pawls, however,causes them to engage the teeth and stop further movement of their rods.The spacing of the teeth 82 corresponds to the spacing of the startingportions of the announcing grooves on the record.

Extending upwardly from the pivot shaft on each pawl 83, (Fig. 5) is anarm 86 and these four arms which act as sensing means are so shaped thattheir ends are in alinement and directly over four concentric steppedtemplets 87, 88, 89 and 90. These templets respectively control theannouncing positions of the transmitters 21 to 24, inclusive by beingsensed by the arms 86. The springs 91 normally hold the pawls inengagement with their stop pins 84. When upon forward movement of thehead plate 51 the end of an arm 86 comes into contact with its templet,its pawl is swung into engagement with its corresponding rack 80.Immediate engagement of the arm with the highest portion of its templetcauses the pawl to engage the shoulder 81 and prevent any forwardmovement of the corresponding transmitter. Engagement of an arm with oneof the lower steps causes its pawl to engage one of the teeth 82 andthereby place its transmitter in position to engage the corre- It willbe understood that the templets may be independent elements andindependently set or adjusted manually or otherwise. However, in thecase of a time announcing device, as illustrated, the three outertemplets 88, 89 and 90 control the minute announcing transmitters andare therefore movable as a unit. The templet 87 which controls the hourannouncement is another independent unit.

A clock 92 has a minute hand shaft 93 pinned to the minute templet unitand a tubular shaft 94 on which is mounted the hour controlling templet.By referring to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the hour templet 87 hastwelve steps corresponding to the twelve hours and to the one to twelvehour announcing grooves of record section A, the hour one step being thehighest. The templet 88 has a high portion 95 and twenty steps beginningat 96 and ending at 97. The first of these steps corresponds to thefirst groove of record section B and is the announcement oclock. Theremaining nineteen steps correspond to the remaining nineteen grooves ofsectime announcements.

tionB and are announcements from one to nineteen, inclusive. The templet89 has a high portion98 and four relatively long steps beginning at 97-and ending at 96. These four steps correspond to the four announcinggrooves of section C: and respectively announce twenty, thirty,

. forty and fifty. The templet 90 has a high portion 99 and'fou'r seriesof nine steps each opposite the four steps of templet 89. These seriesare separated by steps 100 on a level with the high portion 99.. Thenine steps of each of said series corresponds to the nine announcinggrooves of section D which are adapted to announce one to nine,inclusive. These four series of steps are adapted to cooperate with thefour announcements of section C to announce twentyone to fifty-nine,inclusive.

The elements 26 may be reproducing transmitters and in communicationwith electrically operated reproducers 110. While in Fig. 3 of thedrawings I have simply illustrated the reproducers as connected inparallel to the transmit; ters through a .battery 111, it will beunderstood that any desired operative connection can be used. A normallyopen switch 112 is preferably in the circuit of each reproducer 110. Inthe circuit to the motor 71 are a battery 113, a solenoid 114 and aswitch 115. The -solenoid controls a brake 116 which is normally heldagainst the table by a spring 117. When the motor circuit is closed thesolenoid withdraws the brake.

The switch 115 comprises a stationary contact on a bracket at 120 and amovable contact on an arm 121 pivoted at 122. A spring 123 acts in adirection to normally close the switch. A controlling circuit 124 forthis switch passes through a solenoid 125 and a battery 126 and hasconnected in parallel therewith a plurality of switches 127 adjacent tothe switches 112. A spring 128 on the core 129 of this solenoid normallyforces the core outwardly sc that its free end acts as a latch beneaththe am 121 to hold the switch 115 open (Fig. 7). Closing a switch 127energizes the solenoid 125 and withdraws the latch whereupon the switch115 closes and starts the motor. The motor continues to operate until aboss 130 on the disk 43 rides under the arm 121 and opens the switch115. The latch 129 thereupon engages beneath the arm and holds theswitch open, the brake 116 automatically engaging the table upon openingof the switch 115.

It will be understood that the reproducers 110 will ordinarily bedistributed throughout the announcing area or in difierent rooms andthat the switches 112 and 127 therefor will be conveniently located.These two switches may be independent units, as illustrated, or, ifdesired, the same may, for convenience, be combined in any well knownmanner to be operated as a unit. It will furthermore be clear that theseswitches may, if desired, be automatically operated by well known timeclock mechanism to cause'periodic The apparatus is normally in theposition illustrated in the drawings, the clock and templet partsconnected thereto being the only parts which continue to move when noannouncements are being made.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows:

When it is desired to receive a time announcement at any one of thereproducers or speakers 110, the operator-momentarily closes the switch127 and holds the switch 112 closed during the announcement. The closingof the switch 127 withdraws the latch 129 and permits the switch 115 toclose. The brake 116 is thereupon withdrawn and the motor started. Onerotation of the shaft '72 rotates the cam 56 180 which moves the headplate 51 to its extreme right-hand position. Assuming that the clockdriven templets 87-90 are in the position shown in Fig. 5: Thetransmitter 21 will be set to the announcing groove seven of its sectionA; the transmitter 22 will remain in initial position since the end ofits pawl arm 86 engages the high part 95 of templet 88 and causes itspawl 83 to engage the shoulder 81 of its rack and thus prevent movementof its rod 50; the transmitter 23 will be set to the announcing grooveforty of section C; and the transmitter 24 will be set to the announcinggroove eight of section D. It will be understood that the settings areautomatically performed by the templet steps, causing the pawls 83 toengage the corresponding teeth 82 and that after such an engagement thecorresponding spring 57 is compressed as the head plate 51 continues itsmovement over the rod.

Thus at the end of the first rotation of the record the roller 55 is onthe concentric portion of the cam 56 which holds the transmitters intheir set positions during the second rotation of v the record, and theend of the cam 42 of disk 43 has reached the roller 41. This latter isso timed as to permit the cage 31 to rotate to the left (Fig. 6) andengage the needles with the record at the starting point 12. Thetransmitter 22 which remains in its initial position is held from suchengagement due to its roller 63 riding on the rib 64 of the record. Thetransmitter 21 first engages its section A and announces seven. Directlythereafter the transmitter 23 engages its section C and announces forty,and directly thereafter transmitter 24 engages its section D andannounces eight. Thus the time 7:48 has been announced.

Directly after section D passes the transmitter 24 at point 16 on therecord the cam boss 130 on the disk 43 rides beneath the arm 121 andopens the motor switch 115. the latch 129 immediately engaging beneaththe arm and holding the switch open after the boss has passed by asshown in Fig. 7. The spring 117 thereupon immediately applies the brake116 to the table 70 and stops the motor and connected parts with thetransmitters in position over the blank area 17 of the record and theother parts of the device in the normal position shown in the drawings.In such position the pawl arms 86 are disengaged from their templetswhich are thereupon free to move with the clock shafts, it beingunderstood that such 4 move the hour templet to its next step during thelast minute of each hour. This arrangement is best shown in Fig. 8. Thehub 140 of the templet 87 is loose on the tubular shaft 94 and a pin 141in such shaft extends outwardly through a slot 142 in the hub, the slotbeing slightly wider than the diameter of the pin. A very light spring143 connects the end of the pin with a pin 144 on the hub.

A lever 145 pivoted at 146 to the inner wall of the templet 88 carries aroller 147 on one end and a light spring 148 on its other end keeps theroller in contact with the templet 87. A slight depression 149 isprovided in the templet 87 and this depression is so located that theroller 147 engages therein, as shown in Fig. 8, during the last minuteof each hour. Thus as the templet 88 continues to advance at itsrelatively high speed it advances the templet 87 therewith until theother wall of the slot 142 engages the pin 141. The parts are sorelatively proportioned that the roller then easily rides out of thedepression and the minute templet continues on its way. It should beunderstood that the spring 143 is so light as to readily permit thisslight advancement of the templet 87 and not suificiently strong toreversely rotate the templet after withdrawal of the roller from thedepression 149. The spring is, however, sufliciently strong tothereafter re tard rotation of the templet 87 to permit the pin 141 toagain move to the relative position shown in Fig. 8. It should be clearthat this arrangement causes the hour templet 8'7 to move forwardsufiiciently during the last minute of each hour to bring the next hourstep of the templet beneath the end of the corresponding pawl arm 86. Ashas been heretofore stated, it is appreciated that a device of thischaracter requires some experimenting to determine the details whichwill give the best results in the method of operation, and to determinethe best specific arrangement of the parts for securing such operation.For example, the mechanism, including the record, has been illustratedas adapted to give the record two rotations for each announcement, the110 actual announcement being performed during the second rotation. Inpractice it may be necessary to rotate the record more than this amountto secure proper announcing operation of the device. Such a change wouldrequire a modification of the speed ratio between the record and thecams 56 and 43, and a modification of the cams in accordance therewith.If the announcement requires a greater length ofannouncing grooves thanis provided in one rotation of the record, the grooves may be madespiral, the end portions overlapping, as will be readily understood, butthe starting lines 12, 14 and 15 remaining in the sequential orderillustrated. Since the device is illustrated as announcing in a singlerotation of the record, I have, for convenience, illustrated the groovesherein as circular.

As has been heretofore stated, my invention is applicable to many usesother than the making of time announcements. Among such uses. whereinthe announcements would ordinarily be controlled automatically bychronologically driven templets, may be mentioned the announcing of thearrival and departure of trains, the change of class periods in schools,etc. Among the uses, wherein the announcements would probably bemanually controlled by manually adjusting the templets, may be mentionedcalling devices in lieu of the bell calls now used in factories,hospitals, etc. for locating oificials, doctors, etc. somewhere in thebuilding 01' plant.

I claim:

1. An announcing device comprising a record having sounds recordedthereon, a plurality of reproducers cooperating with the record, meansfor setting the reproducers to predetermined announcing positions,electr'c switch means for causing said setting operations, and means forholding the reproducers raised from the record during said settingoperation and directly there- 150 after permitting those set to anannouncing position to engage the record during the announcing operationand preventing such engagement by any reproducers not so set.

2. An announcing device comprising a record having sounds recordedthereon, a plurality of reproducers cooperating with the record, meansfor setting the reproducers to predetermined announcing positions,electric switch means for causing said setting operations, means holdingthe reproducers raised from the record during said setting operat'onsand thereafter engaging the same with the record, and other meansholding from engagement with the record any reproducers which have notbeen set to an announcing position.

3. An announcing device comprising a record having sounds recordedthereon, means normally in a retracted position for cooperating with therecord to reproduce the sounds, means for moving the first named meansfrom said position over the record, controlling means having difierentportions corresponding respectively to the recorded sounds, and meansincluding sensing means normally out of engagement with said portionsbut cooperating therewith for stopping the first named means inpositions corresponding to the portions sensed.

4. An announcing device comprisng a record having sounds recordedthereon, means normally in a retracted position for cooperating with therecord to reproduce the sounds, means for moving the first named meansfrom said position over the record, controlling means having differentportions corresponding respectively to the recorded sounds, meansincluding sensing means normally out of engagement with said portionsbut cooperating therewith for stopping the first named means inpositions corresponding to the portions sensed, and means for thereafterautomatically engaging said first named means with the record andautomatically raising the same therefrom after the announcing operation.

5. An announcing device comprisng a record having sounds recordedthereon, means normally in a retracted position for cooperating with therecord to reproduce the sounds, means for moving the first named meansfrom said position over the record, controlling means havng differentportions corresponding respectively to the recorded sounds, meansincluding sensing means normally out 'of engagement with said portionsbut cooperating therewith for stopping the first named means inpos'tions corresponding to the portions sensed, means for thereafterautomatically engaging said first named means with the record andautomatically raising the same there- 'from after the announcingoperation, and means for thereafter returning the first named means tothe said retracted position.

6. In an announcing device, a record supporting table, a reproducer forcooperating with a record thereon, means other than the record formoving the reproducer over the record, means for holding the reproducerfrom engagement with the record during such movement, means forautomatically stopping the reproducer at a predetermined announcingposition, and a common driving means for the table and first namedmeans.

'7. In an announcing device, a record supporting table, a reproducer forcooperating with a record thereon, means other than the record formoving the reproducer over the record, means for holding the reproducerfrom engagement with the record during such movement, means forautomatically stopping the reproducer at a predetermined announcingposition, means for causing the reproducer to engage the record at saidannouncing position, and acommon driving means for the table and saidfirst and fourth named means.

8. An announcing device comprising a record having sounds recordedthereon, a plurality of reproducers movable thereover, a plurality ofindependently adjustable elements each having reproducer controllingportions thereof extending to different heights corresponding tothedifierent announcements on the record, means for moving thereproducers over the record toward and from said elements, and meansincluding sensing means normally out of contact with said reproducercontrolling portions but cooperating therewith for stopping thereproducers in positions corresponding to the heights of the portionssensed. a

9. An announcing device, comprising a record, a movably mounted cageextending thereover, a plurality of reproducers carried by and movablealong the cage, means for setting the reproducers automatically toannouncing positions along the cage,-means for holding the cage in aposition keeping the reproducers off the record during the settingoperation, and other means for holding from engagement with the recordduring the announcing any reproducers which have not been set to anannouncing position.

10. An announcing device comprising a normally stationary record havingsounds recorded in sound grooves therein, means normally in an initialposition fully retracted transversely of said grooves and adapted tocooperate therewith to reproduce the sounds, means including an electricswitch for starting the record, means for setting the first-named meansfrom said retracted position to predetermined announcing positionsduring the initial movement of the record, means for holding thefirst-named means off the record during such setting operations, meanssynchronized with said setting means for automatically engaging thefirst-named means with the record to make an announcement, and means forautomatically stopping the record after a predetermined announcement.

11. The device set forth in claim 10, plus means automatically raisingthe first-named means from the record after the announcement and holdingthe same in raised position during the return movement to said initialposition and during the next setting operation.

12. An announcing device, comprising a record, a rotatably mounted cageextending thereover, a plurality of reproducers normally in a retractednon-announcing position carried by and movable along the cage, anelectric switch, means including a rotary electric motor for setting thereproducers automatically from said retracted position to predeterminedannouncing positions along the cage when the switch is closed, and cammeans driven by the motor whereupon when the switch is closed the cageis rotated to positions in which the reproducers are held off the recordduring said setting operation, then engage the record during theannouncement and thereafter raise from the record and return to saidretracted position.

13. A vocal announcing device comprising means on which vocalannouncements arerecorded, means adapted tocooperate in differentrelative positions therewith to make different announcements, anelectric motor, means operated thereby for causing a shifting relativebodily movement of the first and second-named means, an electric switch,adjustable templet means normally independent of the first andsecond-named means but opposed to and cooperating with the third-namedmeans for causing a relative positioning of the first and second-namedmeans to a position corresponding to the position of the templet meanswhen the switch is closed, and means for thereupon causing the first andsecondnamed means to make the announcement thus selected.

14. The combination set forth in claim 13, in which the device isadapted to announce the time and in which the templet means is drivenchronologically from a motor.

15. A vocal announcing device comprising a record having recordingsthereon to be repeated, means normally in an initial position laterallyof said recordings adapted to cooperate with the record to announce saidrecordings, an electric motor, means operated thereby for moving thefirst-named means from said initial position to a predeterminedannouncing position, adjustable stop means opposed to the second-namedmeans for limiting the extent of such movement, and means including anelectric switch for causing the second-named means to move thefirst-named means to an announcing position corresponding with theposition of the stop means.

16. A vocal announcing device comprising a rotary but normallystationary record having recordings thereon to be repeated, meansnormally in an initial position laterally of said recordings adapted tocooperate with the record to announce said recordings, an electricmotor, means operated thereby for rotating the record and moving thefirst-named means from said initial position to a predeterminedannouncing position, adjustable stop means opposed to the second-namedmeans for limiting the extent of such movement, and means including anelectric switch for causing the motor to rotate the record and duringthe initial rotation thereof to move the first-named means to anannouncing position corresponding with the position of the stop means.

17. In a device of the class described, two coaxial shafts, controllingtemplets operated by said shafts, means for rotating the shaftssynchronously but at relatively different speeds, and means providing aconnection between the shafts for automatically and temporarily rotatingthe slower shaft with the faster shaft once during each rotation of thefaster shaft.

18. A device of the class described, comprising a member adapted to bemoved to different predetermined positions, means for moving the memberto such positions, a plurality of abutment shoulders correspondingrespectively with said positions, stop means movable with the member andadapted to cooperate with said shoulders, an adjustable element havingcontrolling portions thereof extending to different heightscorresponding respectively with said shoulders, and means movable withthe member adapted to engage one of said portions and cause anengagement between the stop means and the corresponding shoulder wherebyto stop the member in a position corresponding to the portion engaged.

19. An announcing clock comprising a record having number recordingsthereon to be repeated in announcing the time, means normally in aninitial position adjacent to one edge of said recordings adapted tocooperate with the record to announce the numbers, means including anelectric motor for moving the first-named means over said recordingsfrom said initial position to a predetermined announcing position, stopmeans including a chronologically driven device opposed to thesecond-named means for controlling the extent of such movement, andmeans including an' electric switch for causing the second-named meansto move the first-named means from said initial position to anannouncing position corresponding with the position of said device anddirectly thereafter engage the record and announce the time wheneversaid switch is closed.

20. In combination, a rotary record having sound grooves therearound anda raised rib on and extending around the record adjacent to one edge ofsaid grooves, a reproducer for cooperating with the record, and meansfor engaging the rib and holding the reproducer from engagement withsaid grooves while the reproducer is located adjacent to the rib.

21. An announcing device, comprising a record,

a plurality of reproducers normally in a retracted position and movableforwardly therefrom over the record, means including an electric motorfor so moving and returning the reproducers, and other means including aplurality of elements rotatably mounted on a common axis for limiting 12respectively and automatically said forward movement of the reproducers,said elements each having reproducer-controlling portions thereoncomprising steps of different heights corresponding to the differentannouncements on the record.

22. An announcing device, comprising a record,

a reproducer normally in a retracted position and movable forwardlytherefrom over the record to announcing positions, means including anelectric motor for so moving and returning the reproducer, and othervariable means for limiting said forward movement to place thereproducer in predetermined announcing positions.

LAWRIE L. WITTER.

